Inmates at California Jail Tried to Infect Themselves With COVID-19 to Get Early Release: Sheriff
Surveillance video released by the L.A. County Sheriff's Office appears to show men at Pitchess Detention Center-North County Correctional Facility sharing a bottle filled with hot water and passing around a mask allegedly contaminated with the virus.
A group of inmates at a Los Angeles County jail deliberately tried to infect themselves with COVID-19 in the hopes of securing an early release, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Monday.
Surveillance video released by the Sheriff's Office appears to show several men at Pitchess Detention Center-North County Correctional Facility sharing a bottle filled with hot water and passing around a mask allegedly contaminated with the virus.
Villanueva said in a statement that they drank from the bottle in an attempt to spread the virus and to try to raise their oral temperature moments before having their temperature taken by a nurse.
"As a direct result of the behavior seen in the video, 21 men tested positive for COVID-19 within a week," the statement said. "A gross misunderstanding among the inmate population led many to believe that those diagnosed with COVID-19 may be released, which is untrue."
Since the pandemic began, 222 inmates in the jail have tested positive, 117 have recovered and 18 were released from custody after testing positive, but prior to meeting CDC standards for being considered fully recovered, according to the Sheriff's Office.
RELATED STORIES
Trending on Inside Edition

Kidnapped Woman Rescued After Leaving Note Asking for Help at KFC Restaurant: Police
Crime
Britany Barron Tearfully Testifies Husband Shot Her Co-Worker, Made Her Behead Him, Over Texts They Exchanged
Crime
Are Cosmetic Procedures on the Rise As People Return to the Office? A Look at the Plastic Surgery ‘Zoom Boom'
Health
Teen Struck By Lightning Inside Her Pennsylvania Home During Heavy Storm
Offbeat
Mom Accuses Another Shopper of Clearing Baby Formula Off Shelf Amid Growing Desperation Over Shortage
News